Mekelle offensive
Part of the Tigray War

Map of the Mekelle offensive
Date17–28 November 2020
Location
Tigray Region, Ethiopia
13°29′49″N 39°28′37″E / 13.49694°N 39.47694°E / 13.49694; 39.47694
Result

Ethiopian victory

  • Ethiopia captures multiple sites around the city of Mekelle[1]
  • Ethiopia captures Mekelle on 28 November after two days of battle, TPLF withdraws[2][3]
Belligerents
Tigray  Ethiopia
 Eritrea
Commanders and leaders
Debretsion Gebremichael
(Chief Administrator of Tigray Region and TPLF Chairman)
Getachew Reda
(TPLF Spokesperson)[4]		 Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed
(Prime Minister of Ethiopia)
Ethiopia Birhanu Jula
(ENDF Chief of Staff)
Ethiopia Kenea Yadeta
(Minister of Defence)
Eritrea Isaias Afewerki
(President of Eritrea)
Eritrea Filipos Woldeyohannes
(EDF Chief of Staff)
Units involved
Tigray Defence Forces ENDF EDF
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
27 civilians killed, 100+ wounded (Mekelle anonymous doctors)[6]

The Mekelle offensive was a military campaign fought between the armed forces of Ethiopia and the Tigray Region to reach the city of Mekelle in the Tigray Region, from 17 November to 28 November 2020. It was part of the Tigray War.

Timeline

17 November

Mekelle was hit by an airstrike, killing two civilians and injuring several others. The strike also caused damage to roads, bridges and houses. Who carried out the airstrike has been disputed, as the Ethiopian government has denied targeting civilians.[7][8][9]

Mortar fire and tank shells also fired upon civilian areas in the town of Shire; hotels, schools, a university campus, an apartment building and the town's own municipal building were hit by the strikes. A number of residents interviewed by Human Rights Watch either stated that Tigayan forces had either left before it occurred, or at the very least, "did not see militia forces present." Both Ethiopian and Eritrean forces were noted as entering Shire later that day.[10]

The Ethiopian government accused the TPLF of blowing up four main bridges leading to Mekelle, which the TPLF denied.[11] By the end of the first day, at least 10 civilians were killed.[10]

18 November

Ethiopian forces captured Shire and Axum in the morning. Around 9 a.m., Ethiopian forces were advancing towards Mekelle by three roads from South, East and Northwest around 200 kilometers away from the city. The Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Defense Force, Berhanu Jula, announced an intention to encircle Mekelle in order to capture TPLF forces.[7][12][13] Fighting between Tigray and Eritrea reportedly took place in Adi Quala, Zalembesa, Taruna, Ali Tina, Wadqomdi, and Badme.[14]

19 November

TPLF leader Debretsion said that Mekelle was bombed but gave no details of casualties or injuries.[15] Redwan Hussein, a government spokesperson, said that government troops are closing in on Mekelle and had won multiple victories, capturing a number of towns on their campaign towards the Tigray capital.[16]

20 November

Mekelle was hit by an airstrike which inflicted significant damage on Mekelle University, injuring several civilians.[17][18] By this point, government-allied forces captured Adwa, while making advances toward Adigrat.[19]

22 November

Military spokesperson of Ethiopia, Colonel Dejene Tsegaye, announced that Mekelle will be encircled and shelled, telling Tigray civilians to flee the city because Ethiopian forces would show no mercy.[20] TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said that his troops have stalled the Ethiopian forces on southern front.[21]

28 November

Ethiopian forces begun their direct assault on Mekelle on 28 November. Debretsion claimed that they were bombarding the city with artillery, an accusation rejected by Ethiopian government.[22] Despite this, however, ambulances rushed through the streets picking up dead and wounded after Ethiopian government artillery strikes.[6] Doctors in Mekelle sent text messages on the condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals from the government by using a rare Internet connection in the city. They stated that indiscriminate artillery shelling targeted not only TPLF areas, but also civilian neighborhoods, ended up killing 27 civilians (including a 4-year-old child) and wounded around 100.[10] The hospital staff showed documents to prove their employment and denied any ties to the TPLF, while providing certain pictures of their patients (including infants) having many shrapnel wounds.[6]

The Ethiopian government later that day announced it had taken Mekelle and that it was the end of the Tigray offensive.[23] Debretsion confirmed the TPLF were withdrawing from around Mekelle.[3] Tigrayan forces said they had withdrawn from Mekelle to avoid having the federal forces from further destroying the city and that the TPLF will be fighting in surrounding rural areas, beginning a new guerrilla campaign.[6]

Aftermath

The International Committee of Red Cross which visited Mekelle after the battle, said hospitals were facing difficulties in providing healthcare to patients. 80% of the people at the Ayder Referral Hospital had trauma injuries, causing other services to be suspended. The hospital was also facing a shortage of body bags. Food in the Tigray region had also run out, causing 1,000 Eritrean refugees to request food and other assistance in Mekelle.[24] Analysts have previously stated that the TPLF could switch to insurgency after losing territory.[25]

On 30 November, Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed told the parliament that federal soldiers have not killed a single civilian during the month-long conflict in the Tigray region, and stated that his army will not destroy Mekelle.[26] However, subsequent reports by both The New York Times and Human Rights Watch report found – after interviewing a number of witnesses – that not only were civilians killed by Ethiopian artillery strikes,[6] but that the strikes "did not appear [to be] aimed at specific military targets," and were instead striking "generalized populated areas."[10]

As of 3 December, electricity had been cut off in the city, which emboldened armed troops (possibly Amhara militiamen) to loot stores at night, forcing many to close.[6]

By 28 June 2021, TPLF rebels recaptured Mekelle as well as bordering Ethiopian villages.[27] The interim government went into exile[28] and the Ethiopian government declared a ceasefire.[29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ethiopia Tigray crisis: Abiy issues 'ultimatum' as civilians flee fighting". BBC News. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Ethiopia PM says Tigray operation over after army seizes Mekelle". Al-Jazeera. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Ethiopia says military operation in Tigray region is over, hunt for Tigray leaders begins". Reuters. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Getachew Reda talks about the state of war situation in Tigray
  5. ↑ "Wieder Luftangriffe der Armee in Tigray" (in German). Deutsche Welle. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marks, Simon; Walsh, Declan (3 December 2020). "From Shelled Ethiopian City, Doctors Tally Deaths and Plead for Help". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Ethiopia crisis: Tigray leader vows to keep fighting as government advances". BBC News. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Ethiopian army marches on Tigray capital | DW | 18.11.2020". DW.COM. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "The moment airstrike hit Tigray's capital". BBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Ethiopia: Unlawful Shelling of Tigray Urban Areas". Human Rights Watch. 11 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Ethiopia: Both sides claim military gains as fighting rages". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  12. ↑ Paravicini, Giulia (18 November 2020). "Ethiopian troops push for regional capital, rebels promise 'hell'". Reuters. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "Latest update on the war in Ethiopia : Defense Chief of Staff speaks". Borkena Ethiopian News. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "EEPA situation report 18 November" (PDF). Europe External Programme with Africa i. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Rebel leader says capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region bombed". Reuters. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "Ethiopia says its forces are 'closing in' on Tigray capital". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "Ethiopia bombs university in a civil conflict that shows no signs of ending". www.abc.net.au. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  18. ↑ Bethlehem Feleke and Zamira Rahim. "Several injured in airstrikes on Tigray capital, humanitarian source says". CNN. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  19. ↑ "Ethiopian government says troops take two towns from Tigray fighters". Reuters. 21 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: PM gives Tigray forces 72 hours to surrender". BBC News. 22 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Ethiopia troops to 'encircle and shell' Tigray city". BBC News. 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Ethiopian forces begin offensive on Tigray capital, say a diplomat and Tigrayan forces leader". Daily Sabah. Reuters. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Army 'takes regional capital of Mekelle'". BBC News. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020. Mr Abiy said the army was in full control and that this "marks the completion of the [military's] last phase".
  24. ↑ "Mekelle hospitals struggling to care for wounded: ICRC". Al-Jazeera. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  25. ↑ "Rockets target Eritrea capital after Ethiopia declares victory in Tigray". Agence France-Presse. France 24. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  26. ↑ "Abiy says Ethiopia's federal forces have not killed civilians in Tigray". Reuters. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  27. ↑ Feleke, Bethlehem. "Ethiopian forces withdraw from Tigray regional capital Mekelle". CNN. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  28. ↑ Akinwotu, Emmanuel. "Interim government of Tigray flees as rebels seize capital". theguardian. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  29. ↑ Paravicini, Houreld, Giulia, Katharine. "Tigray's former rulers back in Mekelle, Ethiopian government declares ceasefire". Reuters. Retrieved 28 June 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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